Rescue volunteers put basic safety advice on the cards

Cave Rescue Organisation (CRO), Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue

Association and Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team say many people visiting the Yorkshire Dales do not know how to get emergency help if there is an accident or if someone is missing or overdue.

So the teams have joined forces to produce an advice card for walkers, cavers, climbers, casual visitors and others who venture out into the local countryside telling them what to do if they run into trouble.

Rae Lonsdale, a CRO duty controller, said: "Seasoned outdoors people know that when you ring 999 for a rescue team, you should ask for 'police', then ask them for mountain or cave rescue.

"Often, in that fraught time immediately after an accident, less experienced people can ask for an ambulance, without thinking – and sometimes without telling the dispatcher about the remoteness or inaccessibility of the site where help is needed.

"So, we've published advice on a card that folds to credit-card size and fits easily into a wallet or the first aid kit that every party should carry."

The three teams aim to put posters and card dispensers into more than 300 outlets around the area, where outdoor retailers, accommodation providers and attraction or information centre operators are prepared to help their local team to promote the campaign.

Mr Lonsdale said: "Essentially, the message is that if you need help, beyond the road network, you probably need a rescue team. In that case, call 999 ask for police and ask them for mountain rescue or cave rescue – the effect is the same.

"If using a mobile, it is helpful to say which county you are in, as 999 operators may not have an intimate knowledge of rural England and calls from high points may go some miles to reach a phone mast."

The campaign is being backed by North Yorkshire Police and the

Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority

Assistant chief constable of North Yorkshire Police, Sue Cross, said: "The campaign will most certainly help to save lives and the combined support it is already receiving will ensure it becomes a permanent part of everyday life in the Dales."